Mineral material processing devices are typically used for feeding, conveying, crushing, screening or washing mineral materials. Typically such a processing device comprises a frame and at least one processing unit suitable for processing of mineral materials, for example a feeder, a belt conveyor, a crusher, a screen, or a corresponding device for transferring, refining or sorting mineral material. Often two or several processing units are integrated in the same frame, thus attaining a device suitable for versatile processing of mineral material.
Often such mineral material processing devices are designed so that they can be transported between different working sites or at least within one working site. Thus, the frame of the mineral material processing device is often provided with runners, wheels or tracks. Mineral material processing devices are often also provided with an independent power source, for example a diesel motor that is connected to wheels or tracks underneath the frame, thus attaining a movable device that is capable of moving independently.
When a new movable mineral material processing device is designed, the objectives of the design work is in addition to the processing efficiency and productivity that the processing device can be transported and used easily and safely. Sometimes these objectives are contradictory, and the designers must resort to compromises. For example, a high level of productivity requires the use of productive, large-sized processing units in the mineral material processing device. However, the use of such units makes the entire processing device large in size and difficult to transport not only inside the working site, but also between different working sites.
There are several patent publications known in the world, which disclose inventions with the aim of facilitating the mobility of various kinds of mineral material processing devices. Such publications include for example EP 1 110 625 A2, DE 198 05 378 A1, WO 98/46472 A1, WO 90/08720 WO 2004/018106 A1 and F1109662 B.
Finnish patent publication FI 109662 B discloses a mobile mineral material processing device, in which the processing units include a vibrating feeder, a jaw crusher, two belt conveyors and a magnetic separator. The device comprises a power source of its own as well as tracks connected to the frame of the device, by means of which it is possible to transport the unit in the working site, and drive it for example on the platform of a truck for road transport between different working sites. Furthermore, in the upper part of the device there is a feeder hopper in which the material to be processed is fed and from which a vibrating feeder transfers the material to a crusher. To facilitate the mobility of the device as well as to attain a height of the cargo that is below the maximum cargo height allowed for road transports, the feeder hopper is composed of walls which can be turned downward and are hinged to the frame of the device. The publication shows an inventive transport locking of a vibrating feeder that facilitates and speeds up the process of bringing the presented crushing device from the working position to the transport position.
In mineral material processing devices in which a feeder hopper which comprises turning walls is located in the upper part of the device, there are still some unsolved problems relating to the easy and safe mounting of the feeder hopper in a situation in which the feeder hopper of the processing device is transferred from the transport position to the working position or vice versa, from the working position to the transport position.
The feeder hopper of the mineral material processing device receives strong impacts, when big stones are fed into the feeder hopper. Such impacts may also be exerted on the feeder hopper for other reasons, for example when a device that is feeding the processing device, such as the bucket of an excavator or a bucket loader hits the feeder hopper by accident. Thus, the feeder hopper must be manufactured so that it becomes very firm. At the same time it becomes heavy.
The feeder hopper is supported against the main frame of the mineral material processing device, wherein the impacts exerted on the feeder hopper are also exerted on the main frame of the mineral material processing device. Thus, this main frame must also be manufactured to be very firm. At the same time it becomes heavy as well. Often the feeder hopper is supported against the main frame by means of a separate feeder module frame. The same requirements as those directed to the main frame are directed thereto, i.e. it must be very firm and it must have a strong structure. At the same time it is often very heavy.
The mounting of the feeder hopper, i.e. the turning of the heavy walls of the feeder hopper around their hinges to the working position and the locking of the walls to each other is a slow, difficult and dangerous work stage. In the most developed processing devices for mineral materials currently on the market the walls of the feeder hopper can be turned by means of hydraulic cylinders in such a manner that the turning of them from the transport position to the working position and back is easy. However, the impacts exerted on the walls of the feeder hopper cannot be received with mere hydraulic cylinders. Thus, the walls of the hopper must be locked to the working position separately. Conventionally this has been done by means of firm and heavy wedges by means of which the walls are locked so that they do not move with respect to each other and the frame of the processing device for mineral material or the frame of the feeder module. The wedges have been used especially for locking the wall of the feeder hopper and the frame of the processing device for mineral materials, but also for locking the separate walls of the feeder hopper to each other.
Up until now the transferring of the feeder hopper of a processing device for mineral materials from the working position to the transport position or back has required the climbing of the user up to the hopper to install or remove the locking wedges. In quarry conditions working high up with heavy wedges as well as working between the frame and the heavy wall of the hopper that is attached by means of hinges to the frame is a safety risk.
In present feeder hoppers there also occurs a problem that the impacts exerted on the feeder hopper, either the impacts on the walls caused by the stones fed into the feeder hopper or other kinds of impacts affect the frame of the processing device, thus causing impacts and vibration therein. As a result of this the frame structure of the processing device itself and all the other structures relating thereto become fatigued and rupture as time goes on. Furthermore, the impacts and the vibration may cause damage to the sensitive components of the processing units and auxiliary devices installed on the frame.